Tendayi Gahamadze

Tendayi (Samaita) Gahamadze born (3 July 1959) was at his parents' farm in Musengezi and went to Mkwasha Primary School. He later went to Moleli for secondary education. In 1979 he left for the United Kingdom where he did his A levels and studied metallurgy from 1982 in Germany. He was a member of a school choir at a tender age and learnt to play when he was in the UK. He was fascinated by the sound of Mbira but never imagined he would one day play this instrument. Whilst in Germany he was astounded when one day at a seminar in Essen he and his fellow Zimbabwean students had no option but to sing Ishe Komborera Africa in contrast with the Congolese and Latin American students who played their Rhumba and Salsa music respectively. On coming back to Zimbabwe he was told by his wife, Evelyn, that it had been prophesied that he would be a prominent mbira player. He just brushed it aside and wondered how at age 30 he would learn to play this instrument. A year later he found himself under the mentorship of a famous spiritual leader, namely, Choshata of the Mhara Mbuya Chikonamombe totem. He spent a whole year living with Albert and Benjamin Gobvu who were respected mbira players in Mhondoro. The best he could do was to assist in the tuning of the mbiras but never attempted to play since to him it seemed far beyond his capabilities. It was Choshata who recommended that Tendayi buys his own Mbira which he hastily did.

With this Mbira he went to another Mbira manufacturer, Seke, who made two more mbiras of the same tuning for him. He left Choshata's shrine for Norton where his family was. With him now was a set of three mbiras which he could not play. It just happened overnight, as it were, that he started playing the mbira without being directly by anyone. He started teaming up with different mbira players and performing with them at cultural ceremonies and gatherings. Worth mentioning are Magwimbe Mlambo and Wilfred Mafrika who were with him in the beginning of the unfolding of this mystery. Having had some guitar band experience with college bands during his time at university Tendayi went on to buy guitar pick-ups and started manufacturing his own mbiras and electrifying them. He formed the group Mbira dzeNharira which had its first recording, Rine Manyanga Hariputirwe,in 1998 which instantly topped the charts. To date Mbira dzeNharira has won five musical awards and are determined to take the mbira to greater heights.